What's the Scoop on Ice Cream?

Recently I saw how twenty-five years ago our former President Reagan declared July to be National Ice Cream Month (as if the jelly beans weren't enough to contribute to America's desire for sweets). The Mercury News boasted how popular ice-cream sales nationwide are at about $702, 858, 3000 just in the month of July. (They should have reminded us of the obesity and diabetic epidemic along with it.) Don't get me wrong here, I enjoy moderate amounts of ice cream myself now and then, but really, is there a need to push the sale of it, especially when there are viable great tasting alternatives?

Try deliciously creamy Fage fat free yogurt (it needs only a hint of sweetener; stevia is my choice for a trul low calorie natural sweetener) with fresh strawberries or blueberries. I can work that in my daily diet guilt free every single day with about 160 calories compared to probably more than double that considering ice cream serving sizes and flavors. (The serving size for regular ice cream is a half cup for about 150-160 calories, but who eats a mere half cup as a serving, or even just the plain varieties which can double or triple the amount of calories.)  Fage yogurt and fruit gives me a real nutrition punch (and the natural benefit of probiotics to support the digestive tract) rather than just a bunch of empty sugar calories that I may end up feeling guilty about especially if I eat more than the tease of a half cup serving.

I've also been know to make my own natural smoothies/shakes with a frozen banana, vanilla extract, stevia, protein powder and ice. Yum! It truly is what you get used to. I literally haven't "craved" ice cream in years because I use great tasting substitutions.

What's your favorite "scoop solution"

Fat Fighting Foods

Most fruits and vegetables could be considered fat fighting foods but some foods contain specific nutrients that give them a little edge when it comes to fighting fat. Here are some foods that might give you some extra fat fighting properties:

• Remember the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?” Well not only do apples taste good they are just plain good for you, and they can help with the weight loss.  Apples are just so satisfying, either on or off any diet. They are delightfully crispy, crunchy, filling and full of fiber, particularly pectin, which may be particularly helpful with weight loss and fighting fat.
• Another fat fighting food food is fennel. Both the bulb and stem can be consumed, raw or cooked. I like it raw as a  refreshingly different salad with carrots and  then  use  a lemon and olive oil dressing. Or gently cook it with a sweet cooking wine and olive oil. Its mild sweet flavor is delicious. For centuries fennel has been known to be a helpful digestive aid which might help metabolize fats. It has been suggested that it may help promote better cholesterol and help cleanse the colon which many health authorities now believe may contribute to a better weight loss.
• Another fat fighting food is the radish, typically used in salads. It’s very low in calories, fat and cholesterol, but high in iron, magnesium and other nutrients. This little veggie helps clean the body’s mucous membrane and dissolve fat in cells.

Just remember you still have to watch your total calorie consumption in your daily diet so make sure you know how many calories you should be consuming every day and  track your foods for weight loss.

Target to Success

Many a dieter has missed the target to success in weight loss. One simple solution is to always plan ahead regardless of the situation.  “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!”   Do this a few days ahead of time to allow adequate time to prepare for any challenges that may be there.

Apply your planning with everything around food. For example if dining out occurs frequently, figure out where you can go and still make good choices. Check out the menu online to check your options so you can have the leisure of making the best choice. Plan on some comfortable responses when people try to force you into something you really don’t want to eat. ("I had a late lunch," "my doctor said..." "I have a bit of an upset stomach," etc.)

Eating in a cafeteria maybe as fattening as going out. Plan ahead and bring your own lunches. (It also can save you money as well as calories.) Don’t forget to bring some healthy snacks to avoid the mid-afternoon vending machine trap. Have healthy alternatives like fresh fruit and healthy nuts available when the candy dish is kept in your vicinity. Eat every few hours so you will not get overly hungry and overeat later.

These are just a few ways you can plan ahead. Readers what are some other ways you can plan ahead to stay on target? Share your challenges and solutions with us!

4th of July Food and Fun

We are well into summer fun which means more time for fun in the sun with our favorite friends and family, especially this holiday, the 4th of July. The challenge is that with extra social events food temptations come right along with it.  A good strategy is to avoid over eating as your entertainment. Even Dr. Phil says "You don’t have to have a party in your mouth!"

The idea around social events and entertainment is that it is a people event, not an eating event even if it may seem like it! So enjoy the people around you. Engage them in activity rather that sitting around the food table. Take some walks at the beach or hike through some trails in the mountains. Play some games like Frisbee or even badminton or volleyball. Play tourist even if it’s in your own area.  Explore some new places. Staying active and away from the food is the idea. It will deter you from the food focus and at the same time it will burn any extra calories you just might have allowed yourself to indulge in.

And remember all those great fresh summer fruits like watermelon, berries and cherries make for great healthy lower calorie substitutions for all the other sweet treats! What about the American hot dog? Click here for the facts.

Choose Color for Health and Weight Loss

I am always telling my clients the importance of eating enough fruits and vegetables. And although all vegetables have some valuable nutrients here’s a way of defining the vegetables that provide you with the most nutrients, especially if you frequently shortchange your diet in this area. Simply choose fruits and vegetables with the most color. These fruits/vegetables contain the most potent nutrients called phytonutrients.

Choose red vegetables such as red peppers, tomatoes and watermelon. Choose orange as in apricots, carrots and cantaloupe. Select yellow and green vegetables like artichokes, corn, lettuce, and your leafy greens like chard and collards. Don’t forget the cruciferous group like broccoli and cabbage. And last but not least and everyone’s summer favorites, select the blue and purple foods with all the berries that are so readily available right now.

The good news about all these foods is that they are all low in calories, high in fiber, taste great and benefit us with our weight loss efforts, as well as providing us with great health benefits. Don't forget that Nutrition Data has some really great tools to actually help you personalize your own individual food plan so you get all the other nutrients you need in your daily diet.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Weight Loss

Vitamin D seems to be in the limelight lately. Maybe it will be singled out as the vitamin of the decade award! Seriously though, now it seems it may help promote better weight loss besides maintaining strong bones, lessening hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer, and several autoimmune diseases.

“Vitamin D levels in the body at the start of a low-calorie diet predict weight loss success, a new study found. The results, which suggest a possible role for vitamin D in weight loss, were presented at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.” More study needs to be done but it would not surprise me.

Vitamins may not be miracle cures but they all work together just like an orchestra and if one vitamin is out of tune the "whole band" could eventually become out of tune. And the way most of the population eats it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out how deficiencies can occur. Vitamin D may be especially hard to obtain because it is best absorbed from the sun. Most of us just don’t get outside enough to obtain this important nutrient. Even Dr. Mercola who takes a more holistic view on health has his say about vitamin D and its importance beyond bone health and cancer.

Too Outdated for Weight Loss? - 2

The other day I focused on the importance of lifestyle change (behavior modification principles) when losing weight. Today’s emphasis will be on cognitive-behavioral strategies and how it plays into the importance of weight management.

Cognitive behavioral concepts may not sound familiar to most people but its importance can  be extremely valuable. Cognitive – behavioral means specifically learning how to change your thinking in such a way that it will positively impact your (eating and exercise) behavior resulting in overall successful weight management. It usually is implemented with a qualified therapist but actually anyone who is motivated  enough can learn it on their own.

You be asking exactly what is cognitive behavior? In a nutshell this term means to evaluate your negative thinking and turn it into something more positive. The premise is that negative thinking is frequently irrational and very likely to impact behavior in a negative way. Obviously this pattern of thinking sounds very simplistic but its value should not be undermined. It was originally adopted by Albert Ellis decades ago. The trick with this particular technique is that it has to be learned and then practiced on a consistent basis to be successful. Here is one site that may give you more insights on it.

The bottom line though is that evidence supports the use of both behavioral and cognitive-behavioral strategies, meaning both these strategies work even better together than just dieting and exercise alone. Once again, there's no real quick fixes when it comes to weight loss. You have to do the work.

Too Outdated for Weight Loss? - 1

Most people know that diet and exercise will usually result with effective weight loss results. For decades authorities still push the importance of behavior modification from the 80's and cognitive behavioral strategies along with diet and exercise because the results are even greater, especially for long term results. They may have been created in the 80's but they are still every bit as effective now.

Oddly enough though people have asked what exactly is behavior modification and cognitive-behavioral change and what do these fancy names mean in terms of weight loss? Today I'll briefly review behavior therapy and how it applies to weight management.

A few basic behavior modification examples are simply house proofing your house of unhealthy foods, eating  healthy regular meals and snacks throughout the day, learning appropriate serving sizes, slowing down your eating time, not engaging in other activities while eating (watching TV, driving, etc.), eating from a smaller plate to make portions look larger, keeping a food diary and numerous other behavioral skills that contribute to weight loss.

Doesn't it make sense then to work on positive lifestyle changes than merely going on one more fad diet plan?

Later this week I’ll get into the cognitive-behavioral strategies and their importance in weight management.

A Craving Myth

One of the biggest myths around cravings is that “Cravings are your body's way of telling you it needs something.” I don’t believe this has actually been proven 100% nor do I personally take it to heart. 

Cravings are a multifaceted topic but most of the time they are generally stimulated by things in our direct environment. Situations that stimulate cravings are: when you see or smell foods, experience blood sugar imbalances,  endure emotional/stress issues and even  if you experience hormonal fluctuations . So the next time you have a craving really think about where it’s coming from rather than just succumbing to it and overindulging in it. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

• Did I just see this food somewhere? Did I just smell this food? Are people eating around me?
• Did I eat a good balance of food today? Did I eat enough food at each meal?
• What happened in my life today that is triggering me to want to eat even though I am not hungry? (Am I hungry?)
• Is it near my cycle?

What do you crave and why do you crave it? How do you deal with it?

Strong Muscles Equal Less Cancer

The facts just keep coming in about our eating and exercise habits. Here’s another interesting one around exercise.  “Men with stronger muscles from regular weight training are up to 40 percent less likely to die from cancer, according to new research. These findings suggest that muscular strength is as important as staying slim and eating healthy when it comes to protecting your body against deadly tumors, reducing cancer by as much as 30-40 %.”  Now that’s a motivator I’d say!

For years aerobic exercise was the big thing but we now know it’s not the only component for keeping your body healthy in terms of exercising. Many of us may just choose one or the other. But the reality is we need to do it all, from aerobics, strength training (especially as we age) and strengthening our core muscles, (including abs, back and pelvis so you are strong when doing any general physical activity you perform). Each type of activity clearly reaps its own rewards, and exercise is not just about losing weight, it's about the quality of our life and about our health.